Mediterranean Storm Targets Italy, Southern Balkans and Turkey

Yet another storm system tracking across the Mediterranean Sea will bring locally heavy rainfall to areas from southern Italy into the southern Balkans and eventually Turkey this week.

By this weekend, impacts from the storm may be felt all the way into the Middle East with showers and thunderstorms reaching northern Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

The storm system emerging from northern Africa into the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday will spread thunderstorms and downpours across southern Italy with increasing rainfall across Greece and Albania Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night.

By Thursday, the core of the heaviest rainfall will be found across the southern Balkans while the weather improves over southern Italy despite continued showers.

Rainfall will slowly advance into western Turkey during the day on Thursday with showers and thunderstorms erupting across southern Turkey.

Rain and thunderstorms will continue to drench the southern Balkans and much of western and southern Turkey on Friday before slowly advancing eastward this weekend.

Rainfall totals of 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) will be common from southern Italy into Albania, Greece and western Turkey with isolated amounts in excess of 100 mm (4 inches). Flash flooding will be the greatest concern; however, the areas that experience the heaviest rainfall could also experience mudslides.

This eastward track of the storm will shift the threat of showers and thunderstorms into central and eastern Turkey as well neighboring parts of the Middle East including Israel, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

These thunderstorms can produce locally heavy rainfall and heighten the threat for flash flooding.

Unsettled weather will continue during the first half of next week across eastern Turkey and the Middle East.